OCTOBER  12,  1860. 


lEx  ICtbrtB 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  hook 

Because  it  has  been  said 
"Ever  thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  book." 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


VISIT 

OF 

HIS  ROYAL  HIGHNESS,  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES, 

AND  SUITE, 

TO  THE 

NEW  YORK  INSTITUTION 

FOR  THE 


FEIDAY,   OCTOBER  13,  I860. 


[From  The  New  York  Herald  of  October  13,  I860:] 


NEW  YORK: 
BAKER  &   GODWIN,  PRINTERS, 

PRINTING-H0C8E  SQUARE,  OPPOSITE  CITY  HALL. 

1860. 


NEW-YORK  INSTITUTION 


FOR  THE 


rfrarfi0ira  of  % 


President, 
BENJAMIN  R.  WINTHROP. 

Vice- President, 

SHEPHERD  KNAPP. 

Treasurer, 

GEORGE  S.  ROBBINS. 

Secretary, 

ANDREW  WARNER. 


HARVEY  P.  PEET,  LL.  D.,  FREDERIC  DE  PEYSTER, 

HENRY  E.  DA  VIES,  DANIEL  F.  TIEMANN, 

ISRAEL  RUSSELL,  CHARLES  ROOME, 

FRANCIS  HALL,  J.  N.  COBB, 

Rev.  WILLIAM  ADAMS,  D.  D.,  GEORGE  FOLSOM, 

JAMES  W,  BEEKMAN,  PETER  C.  TIEMANN, 

WILLIAM  H.  SMITH,  A.  V.  WILLIAMS,  M.  D., 

WILLIAM  P.  LEE,  ENOCH  L.  FANCHER. 

ERASTUS  BROOKS,  CYRUS  W.  FIELD, 

JOHN  ALSTYNE,  JOSEPH  W.  PATTERSON, 


INTELLECTUAL  DEPARTMENT. 


Principal  of  the  Institution, 

HARVEY  P.  PEET,  LL.  D. 

Vice- Principal,  and  Instructor  of  the  High  Class, 

ISAAC  LEWIS  PEET,  A.  M. 

Professors  and  Teachers, 

ORAN  WILKINSON  MORRIS,  A.  M.,  ISAAC  HOYT  BENEDICT, 

EDWARD  PEET,  A.  M.,  WILLIAM  HENRY  WEEKS, 

EGBERT  LANGDON  BANGS,  A.  M.,  WALTER  WILSON  ANGUS, 

WARRING  WILKINSON,  A.  B.,  JANE  TOMLINSON  MEIGS, 

DUPLET  PEET,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  A.  LAVINIA  HUBBELL, 

JEREMIAH  WOOD  CONKLIN,  CHARLES  K.  W.  STRONG, 

QILBBRT  C.  W.  GAMAGE,  ALBERT  A.  BARNES. 


[From  the  New  York  Herald,  October  13,  I860.] 


VISIT  OF  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES 

TO  THE 

mMntiwn  for  tljie  «eaf  hhIt  SkimIl 


INTENSELY  INTERESTING   EXERCISES  — A  POEM  BY  MRS.  PEET  —  CHARACTERISTIC 
COMPOSITIONS  BY  SOME  OF  THE  PUPILS  — HIS  ROYAL  HIGHNESS  IS 
GREATLY  ENTERTAINED  AND  EXCEEDINGLY  DELIGHTED. 


Perhaps  the  most  interesting  part  of  yesterday's  proceedings, 
and,  indeed,  confessedly  one  of  the  most  interesting  visits  of  the 
Prince  and  suite  since  their  arrival  in  this  country,  was  that  made  by 
the  royal  party  to  the  Institution  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb.  His  Royal 
Highness  and  the  members  of  his  suite  expressed  themselves  as  hav- 
ing been  exceedingly  delighted  with  their  visit.  The  exercises,  which 
we  fully  chronicle  below,  were  of  an  intensely  interesting  character. 

The  elegant  and  spacious  buildings  of  the  Asylum  are  situated  in 
a  beautiful  position  on  Washington  Heights,  commanding  a  splendid 
view  of  the  Hudson  river.  Thirty-seven  acres  of  land,  formerly  occu- 
pied by  Colonel  Monroe,  nephew  of  President  Monroe,  and  desig- 
nated Fanwood,  in  honor  of  his  daughter  Fanny,  are  laid  out  in  the 
neatest  style  of  landscape  gardening.  In  these  splendid  grounds — 
worth  half  a  million  dollars,  and  fronting  on  the  river — the  buildings 


4 


have  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  three  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
The  Asylum  is  in  every  way  admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose  for 
which  it  was  designed.  Accommodations  are  provided  for  five  hun- 
dred pupils,  with  every  comfort  and  convenience.  There  are  in  the 
Institution  now  only  three  hundred  pupils,  males  and  females,  who  are 
arranged  in  fifteen  different  classes  for  the  purpose  of  instruction ;  but 
in  erecting  these  new  asylum  buildings  the  directors  were  wisely  go- 
verned more  by  anticipations  for  the  future  than  by  the  present  actual 
necessities.  The  Asylum  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  is  one  of  the  most 
worthy  institutions  in  the  land.  There  are  about  twenty  such  asy- 
lums in  this  country,  and  many  more  in  Europe,  but  the  New  York 
institution  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  finest  of  them  all.  The  system 
of  instruction  adopted  in  the  American  institutions  is  superior  to  that 
employed  on  the  Continent ;  and  the  distinctive  language  of  signs,  es- 
pecially in  its  highest  developments — as  when  it  rises  into  the  region 
of  abstractions — is  here  brought  to  a  state  of  remarkable  perfection. 
The  good  Abbe  De  L'Epee,  who  may  be  said  to  be  the  father  of  the 
sign  language,  was  in  the  habit  of  closely  observing  the  natural  means  of 
communication  which  the  deaf  mutes  whom  he  taught  under  the  old 
system  employed  among  themselves  to  give  expression  to  their  feel- 
ings and  sentiments,  and  by  selecting  the  most  suggestive  and  beautiful 
signs  for  different  objects,  and  by  careful  thought  and  study,  proceeded 
to  develop  one  of  the  most  expressive  means  of  communication  be- 
tween kindred  minds.  Since  his  day,  experience  has  suggested,  and 
led  to  be  adopted,  a  number  of  improvements.  These  the  pupils  of 
this  Institution  enjoy  to  the  fullest  extent.  From  the  lowest  stages  of 
comprehension  they  are  conducted  through  the  various  gradations  to 
the  highest  forms  of  emotional  expression.  The  deaf  mutes  are  cor- 
dially invited  to  enter  the  asylum,  and  if  their  parents  are  able  and 
willing  to  pay  for  them  well  and  good ;  but  in  the  absence  of  such  a 
desirable  contingency,  the  State  pays  the  Institution  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  per  annum  for  the  maintenance  and  education  of  each 
person.    This  amount  entitles  each  to  all  the  privileges  of  the  Institu- 


5 


tion.  The  pupils  are  instructed  in  the  various  branches  of  education 
— reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  geography,  history,  moral  science,  and 
natural  philosophy,  astronomy,  French,  logic,  and  rhetoric,  and  Eng, 
lish  composition — in  which  some  of  them  exhibit  most  astonishing 
proficiency.  They  are  also  instructed  in  the  practical  part  of  various 
industrial  employments,  ample  facilities  for  which  are  furnished  in  the 
Institution ;  so  that  after  a  certain  term  of  years  they  are  prepared  to 
go  out  into  the  world  intelligent  citizens,  and  capable  of  providing  for 
their  own  subsistence. 

A  few  weeks  ago  Mr.  Cyrus  W.  Field,  who  is  one  of  the  directors, 
went  with  Mr.  Archibald,  the  British  Consul,  to  see  the  Institution,  on 
which  occasion  the  anticipated  visit  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  to  the 
city  of  New  York  wras  mentioned.  Several  of  the  pupils  in  the  higher 
classes  were  asked  if  they  would  like  to  have  the  Prince  of  Wales 
pay  a  visit  to  the  Asylum,  and  were  requested  to  write  down  their 
sentiments  on  the  subject.  The  replies  were  all  unanimous  for  his 
coming,  and,  through  the  kindness  of  the  managers  of  the  Institution 
where  copies  were  kept,  we  are  enabled  to  give  the  public  the  senti- 
ments expressed  on  that  occasion. 

Mr.  Willis  Hubbard,  one  of  the  pupils,  wrote  : — 

"  It  affords  us  indescribable  pleasure  this  delightful  afternoon  to 
welcome  to  our  Institution  Mr.  Cyrus  W.  Field,  one  of  our  honored 
directors,  and  lady,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Archibald,  the  British  Consul 
at  this  port.  As  I  had,  no  longer  ago  than  this  morning,  read  in  one 
of  the  daily  papers  an  account  of  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Archibald  and 
several  other  British  residents  in  New  York  to  extend  to  the  Prince 
of  Wales  a  suitable  reception  on  his  arrival  at  the  great  Western  me- 
tropolis, I  was  surprised  to  meet  him,  and  divined  who  he  wras  when  I 
first  saw  his  name  mentioned.  As  we  are  asked  whether  we  would  be 
pleased  to  have  the  Prince  visit  us,  I  will  simply  state  that  we  would 
be  afforded  more  happiness  in  beholding  "  England's  hope"  than  by  any- 
thing else.  I  hope  the  influence  possesed  by  our  distinguished  visitor 
will  be  successfully  exerted  on  this  occasion  in  accordance  with  our 
wishes." 


0 


Mr.  David  R.  Tillinghast,  another  pupil,  thus  expressed  his  sen- 
timents : — 

"  We  feel  highly  flattered  by  the  honor  which  Edward  M.  Archi- 
bald, Esq.,  the  British  Consul  in  this  city,  has  conferred  upon  us  of 
visiting  an  Institution  to  which  we,  once  thought  little  better  than  the 
brutes,  owe  so  much  for  the  ability  to  express  our  pleasure  in  seeing 
him  and  his  wife.  We  are  also  glad  to  see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cyrus  W. 
Field,  to  whose  interest  we  are  proud  to  say  that  we  have  a  good 
claim.  Mr.  Cyrus  W.  Field  has  asked  us  whether  we  wish  to  have  the 
Prince  of  Wales  come  here.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  we  say  yes.  We 
hope  that  Mr.  Archibald  will  be  pleased  to  acquiesce  in  our  earnest  re- 
quest to  bring  the  Prince  here,  which  he  can  do  on  account  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  British  government." 

Miss  E.  Ida  Montgomery  gave  expression  to  her  feelings  on  the 
subject  in  the  following  beautiful  manner  : — 

"  It  is  with  unfeigned  pleasure  that  we  again  extend  a  welcome,  as 
genial  as  the  sunshine  which  to-day  enlivens  the  earth,  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cyrus  W.  Field  and  the  lady  and  gentleman  who  accompany  them. 
Of  the  latter,  we  are  informed  that  one  is  the  English  Consul,  and 
although  we  cannot  greet  him  with  his  national  air  of'*'  God  Save  the 
Queen,"  such  a  welcome  as  is  in  the  power  of  the  voiceless  to  give,  we 
most  cordially  tender.  We  are  asked  whether  we  should  like  to  see 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  although  I  acknowledge  no  nobility,  save  such 
as  Pope  describes,  no  aristocracy  in  the  crimson  life  current  that 
courses  alike  through  our  veins,  I  unhesitatingly  answer,  yes  ;  for  to 
see  him  to  whom,  in  all  probability,  will  be  entrusted  the  supreme 
power,  under  God,  over  millions  of  people,  and  the  government  of  the 
greatest  empire  on  earth,  and  in  addition  to  all  this,  the  son  of  one  to 
be  whose  son  were  alone  a  passport  to  our  hearts,  would  indeed  be  an 
honor  and  a  happiness  to  be  oft  recurred  to  through  life — a  white  day 
amidst  many  dark  ones.  To  us  the  visit  of  the  heir  apparent  of  the 
British  throne  to  this  country  seems  an  auspicious  omen,  and  an  event 
which  will  tend  to  draw  still  closer  the  bond  of  sympathy  which  must 
ever  exist  between  people  so  closely  allied  as  are  those  of  England 
and  America,  and  that  tin-  love-current  flashing  along  "the  golden 
cord"  ma),  unlike  the  electrical  fluid  whose  flow  we  once  celebrated, 


never  be  interrupted,  even  temporarily,  is  our  earnest  hope  and 
wish." 

Thus  it  is  observed  that  the  inmates  themselves  expressed  a 
deep  desire  to  see  his  Royal  Highness.  A  visit  to  the  Institution, 
however,  had  already  been  designed  as  a  part  of  the  programme  of 
his  sojourn  in  New  York. 

After  visiting  the  University  yesterday,  the  Free  Academy,  the 
Central  Park,  where  he  planted  an  English  oak  and  an  American  elm, 
and  the  residence  of  Mayor  Wood,  on  the  Bloomingdale  road,  where 
he  partook  of  an  elegant  repast,  it  was  arranged  that  the  Prince  of 
Walks  and  retinue  should  proceed  to  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum. 
The  matter  had  been  kept  comparatively  quiet ;  yet  a  large,  but  ex- 
ceedingly select  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  met  at  the  Institution 
to  participate  in  the  pleasures  of  the  occasion. 

At  the  Institution,  everything  had  been  well  arranged  in  good  sea- 
son, without  any  hurry  or  bustle.  It  was  expected  that  the  distin- 
guished strangers  would  arrive  at  three  o'clock.  Half  an  hour  before, 
the  children  were  seated  in  the  spacious  chapel  on  the  second  floor, 
where  they  are  in  the  habit  of  assembling  daily,  morning  and  evening, 
for  prayers,  and  where  regular  religious  exercises  are  held  on  the  Sab- 
bath. The  spectators,  who  were  present  by  special  invitation,  also 
secured  their  seats  in  good  season.  The  chapel,  which  accommodates 
about  eight  hundred,  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  everything 
was  waiting  for  the  appearance  of  the  Prince. 

W  hile  he  is  yet  absent,  it  is  interesting  and  instructive  to  glance 
around  the  room.  At  the  eastern  end,  arranged  on  a  platform,  are 
large  slates  upon  which  the  pupils  are  to  write.  The  three  front  seats 
are  reserved  for  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  suite  and  such  invited  guests 
as  may  accompany  the  party.  The  pupils,  ranging  from  the  ages  of 
ten  to  twenty  years,  are  seated  immediately  behind — the  males  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  females  on  the  other.  Behind  these  are  the  specta- 
tors, crowded  out  to  the  door.   There  are  a  number  of  noticeable  per- 


8 


sons  present.  Perhaps  the  most  important  and  interesting  individual 
in  the  room  is  the  principal  of  the  Institution,  Harvey  P.  Peet,  LL.  D. 
He  learned  the  art  of  teaching  deaf  mutes  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gallau- 
det,  who  was  the  first  instructor  of  the  language  of  signs  in  this  coun- 
try. Dr.  Gallaudet  taught  in  the  American  Asylum  at  Hartford.  Dr. 
Peet  went  there  in  1822,  nearly  forty  years  ago,  and  attained  distinc- 
tion in  the  art  of  teaching.  About  ten  years  later  he  came  to  the 
Asylum  in  New  York,  which  at  that  time  had  few  in  number,  and  an 
inferior  system  of  instruction.  His  useful  labors  in  assisting  materi- 
ally to  build  up  and  improve  the  institution  are  well  known,  and  need 
no  special  mention.  In  the  chapel  are  also  seen  his  three  sons,  who 
are  all  teachers  in  the  institution,  the  eldest  of  whom,  Isaac  Lewis 
Peet,  A.  M.,  is  the  Vice-Principal.  The  wife  of  this  gentleman  is  a 
semi-mute,  and  a  most  gifted  and  estimable  personage.  She  has  com- 
posed some  verses  giving  a  welcome  to  the  Prince,  which  will  be  inter- 
preted after  his  Royal  Highness  arrives  and  the  exercises  have  com- 
menced. Miss  E.  Ida  Montgomery,  a  member  of  the  highest  class,  is 
also  a  highly-gifted  lady,  and  one  of  the  favorites  in  the  Institution. 
She  has  a  wonderful  command  of  written  language,  and  writes  beauti- 
ful compositions,  replete  with  exquisite  sentiment.  Another  exceed- 
ingly talented  young  lady,  one  who  has  been  in  the  asylum  for  nearly 
a  dozen  years,  is  Miss  Gertrude  Walter,  whose  exquisite  delicacy  of 
feeling  and  unsurpassed  attainments  in  the  language  of  signs  in  its 
highest  forms,  have  elicited  the  admiration  of  all  who  know  her. 
There  is  also  sitting  on  one  of  the  seats  on  the  same  side  of  the  room, 
an  interesting  little  orphan  girl  who  was  picked  up  in  one  of  the  worst 
neighborhoods  of  the  city,  taken  to  the  Asylum,  and  named  Mary 
Fanwood — after  the  title  of  the  estate  upon  which  the  Asylum  is  situ- 
ated. One  of  the  young  men  sitting  near  the  platform  is  David  R. 
TiLLiNGHAsr,  a  young  gentleman  of  brilliant  talents  and  extensive  ac- 
quirements. Other  pupils  scarcely  less  interesting  arc  in  the  room, 
but  we  have  not  opportunity  to  describe  them,  for  there  is  an  excite- 
ment among  the  voiceless, and  in  subdued  tones  those  \\)i<>  are  blessed 


9 


with  the  gift  of  speech  murmur  the  announcement  that  "  the  Prince  is 
coming." 

Precisely  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  party  arrived  in 
front  of  the  Institution.  They  immediately  alighted,  were  met  by 
the  President  and  Trustees,  and  escorted  up  to  the  chapel.  Walking 
with  Mr.  Winthrop,  the  President,  the  Prince  of  Wales  entered  the 
chapel,  accompanied  by  the  members  of  the  party  and  followed  by 
the  Trustees  of  the  Institution.  All  the  people  rose  when  he  entered, 
and  when  he  approached  the  platform,  resumed  their  seats  again.  It 
was  a  beautiful  sight  to  witness  the  joy  of  the  pupils,  which  was 
communicated  to  each  other  in  their  own  impressive  and  peculiar 
manner.  The  Prince  sat  between  the  President  and  Mayor  Wood, 
on  one  of  the  front  seats.  Then  Dr.  Harvey  P.  Peet,  rose  and 
addressed  his  Royal  Highness  as  follows  : — 

"Baron  Renfrew, — In  behalf  of  the  Institution  which  I  have  the 
honor  to  represent,  I  beg  leave  to  tender  you  a  cordial  welcome,  not 
the  less  sincere,  although  of  necessity  it  must  be  brief.  In  your  tour 
throughout  our  extensive  country,  you  must  have  seen  every  variety 
of  natural  scenery — our  lakes,  our  rivers,  our  mountains,  our  broad 
prairies,  our  municipal  institutions — and  have  everywhere,  I  trust, 
received  that  respect  and  consideration  due  to  your  Lordship's  high 
position  and  future  prospects,  But  this  is  the  first  Institution  of  the 
kind,  I  believe,  that  your  Lordship  has  visited.  It  was  founded  in 
1817,  and  has  steadily  increased,  from  time  to  time,  as  the  wants  of 
the  community  demanded.  Its  object  is  to  restore  to  the  condition 
of  social  life  those  who  are  deprived  of  the  privileges  which  we  enjoy, 
and  to  impart  intellectual  and  moral  light  to  those  who  sit  in  dark- 
ness and  elevate  them  to  the  dignity  of  thinking  and  rational  beings. 
They  cannot  give  utterance  to  their  joy  and  gratification  on  this  occa- 
sion in  vocal  speech,  but  they  can  express  the  emotions  of  their  hearts 
with  equal  sincerity  and  earnestness  in  the  language  of  action.  It 
numbers  three  hundred  pupils,  divided  into  fifteen  classes ;  but  only 
two  of  them  can  be  exhibited  on  the  present  occasion — those  who 
have  been  here  only  four  weeks,  and  those  who  have  been  here  seven 
and  eight  years." 


10 


The  Prince  rose,  and  gracefully  bowed  his  acknowledgments. 
Three  boys  and  three  girls,  from  a  class  which  had  been  in  the 
Asylum  only  four  weeks,  were  then  brought  upon  the  stage.  It  was 
explained  that  when  they  came  there  they  did  not  know  their  own  names, 
and  could  neither  read  nor  write ;  but  they  had  since  learned  to  form 
letters  with  a  pen,  to  distinguish  between  the  written  and  printed 
characters,  and  had  become  familiar  with  about  twenty  words.  They 
first  wrote  their  names.  Mr.  Gamage,  one  of  the  teachers,  then  led 
them  through  several  exercises,  making  the  signs  for  "  cat,"  "  dog," 
"  cow,"  "  horse,"  and  "  a  blue  bird  " — the  names  of  which  they  wrote 
upon  their  slates.  These  fine  attainments  in  so  short  a  time  elicited 
the  admiration  of  all.  These  younger  pupils  were  introduced  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  from  how  low  a  point  of  intellectual  de- 
velopment the  instructors  were  compelled  to  start. 

The  next  was  a  selection  of  three  young  ladies  and  three  young 
gentlemen  from  the  highest  class.  The  teacher  introduced  the  visitors 
to  these  pupils  by  the  aid  of  signs,  and  suggested  that  some 
questions  should  be  propounded  to  bring  out  the  powers  of  the  pupils. 
The  reply  was  that  the  royal  party  were  delighted  to  meet  them,  and 
wished  the  pupils  to  write  on  the  slates  whatever  they  chose.  They 
turned  to  their  slates,  and  while  they  were  busy  writing,  the  interim 
was  occupied  by  one  of  them — Miss  Walter — in  rendering  into  signs 
the  following  piece  of  poetry,  which  had  been  composed  for  the  occa- 
sion by  Mrs.  Peet  : — 

WELCOME  TO  THE  PRINCE. 

BY  MRS.  MARY  TOLES  PEET. 

Once  from  beyond  the  azure  sea, 

There  came  to  us  a  welcome  tone: 
Men  paused  amid  their  strife  and  toil 

To  list  the  voice  from  England's  throne. 

And  soon  from  out  the  ocean's  depths, 
Where  master  minds  a  chain  had  bound, 

A  strong  pulsation  shook  the  land, 

And  silence  hushed  the  New  World's  sound. 


11 


How  breathlessly  men  stopped  to  count 
The  throbs  that  came  with  measured  beat, 

Till  one  by  one  with  trembling  joy 
Beheld  the  mystic  bond  complete. 

The  strange,  new  thrill  sped  fast  and  far, 
And  waking  joy  throughout  the  land, 

Went  forth  the  greeting  England  sent, 
"  We'll  evermore  go  hand  in  hand-" 

Old  ocean  in  his  wild  disma}-, 

That  man  from  him  his  power  had  won. 
To  part  the  nations,  rent  the  bond; 

But  England  sends  us  now  her  son. 

Right  loyally  we  greet  him,  too, 

For  every  heart  should  bend,  I  ween, 

In  homage  to  such  worth  as  that 

Which  sits  enshrin'd  in  England's  Queen. 

And  though  no  purples  hang  above 

The  brave  young  Briton  here ; 
Yet  retinues  of  kindred  hearts 

Send  up  to  Heaven  this  cheer  : — 

"  God  save  the  Queen — God  save  the  Prince ! 

And  blessings  on  them  shower, 
And  strengthen  every  rightful  cause 

That  adds  to  England's  power." 


These  verses  were  expressed  in  the  language  of  signs,  by  Miss 
Walter,  in  a  truly  wonderful  and  effective  manner  ;  the  eyes  of  every 
one,  all  the  while,  being  riveted,  not  upon  the  Prince,  but  on  the 
lady.  When  she  had  finished,  a  general  sentiment  of  entire  satisfac- 
tion was  distinctly  visible  in  the  faces  of  the  illustrious  guests. 

The  compositions  were  by  this  time  completed,  and  the  Vice- 
Principal  proceeded  to  read  them  from  the  slates.  Mr.  Henry  A. 
Rum  rill  wrote  as  follows  : 

"  It  is  a  high  compliment  to  us  to  receive,  this  lovely  afternoon,  a 
call  from  Lord  Renfrew,  the  Duke  of  Newcastle.  Mayor  Wood. 


12 


and  a  number  of  other  distinguished  personages,  and  we  acknowledge 
it  a  delightful  task  to  tell  how  we  feel  to  have  the  son  of  the  "  Wash- 
ington of  Queens "  honor  us  with  his  presence.  We  hope  he  will 
not  find  his  call  here  unsatisfactory  to  himself.  We  have  not  the 
least  hope  of  giving  him  a  suitable  welcome,  as  we  fear  we  are  child- 
ren, as  compared  to  his  high  standing." 

Mr.  Willis  Hubbard,  expressed  his  feelings  thus  : 

"  It  is  with  unbounded  pleasure  we  welcome  to  our  Institution  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  or  Baron  Renfrew,  under  which  hereditary  title 
he  is  traveling  in  this  country,  with  his  suite.  As  our  silent  tongues 
will  not  permit  us  to  welcome  him  by  chanting  national  airs,  we 
hope  that  our  giving  Baron  Renfrew  a  heartfelt  welcome  in  writing 
on  these  slates,  the  materials  of  which  came  from  the  province  of 
which  he  is  styled  the  Prince,  will  be  sufficient  to  express  our  true 
feelings." 

Mr.  David  R.  Tillinghast's  read  as  follows : 

"  It  is  with  a  full  appreciation  of  the  great  honor  which  the 
Prince  of  Wales  has  conferred  upon  us  that  we  extend  a  cordial 
welcome  to  him.  We  feel  that  our  speaking  fellow-men,  who  have 
greeted  him  in  every  part  of  this  country  which  he  has  passed  through, 
could  not  be  more  cordial  than  we  in  expressing  our  pleasure  in  see- 
ing him.  We  see  in  the  Prince  a  future  King  of  the  British  Empire, 
who  will  count  among  his  subjects  millions  of  free  and  Christian 
men.  For  such  a  vast  responsibility  the  Prince  has  been  prepared, 
by  a  mother  whom  I  regard  as  the  most  Christian  Queen  I  ever  read 
of  in  history." 

Then  came  the  sentiments  of  the  two  young  ladies. 
Miss  E.  Ida  Montgomery  gave  form  to  her  thoughts  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  i 

"From  the  length  and  breadth  of  our  land  has  tolled  one  glad 
acclaim  of  welcome  to  the  heir  of  England,  and  the  son  <>t"  her  peer- 
levv  Queen;  and  though  we  may  not  join  our  voices  in  the  glad  roll 


18 


of  sound,  our  pleasure  is  not  the  less  heartfelt,  nor  our  welcome  the 
less  warm  to  him  to  whom  the  world  looks  as  the  future  ruler  of  its 
mightiest  nation,  and  the  proud  retinue  of  England's  and  America's 
noblemen  who  accompany  him  to-day.  Others  have  expressed,  far 
better  than  it  is  given  us  to  do,  the  objects  of  our  Institution,  and  the 
degree  of  success  which  has  attended  those  who,  in  imitation  of  their 
Divine  Master,  have  sought  to  give  ears  to  the  deaf  and  a 
tongue  to  the  voiceless.  And  though  the  methods  pursued  in  this 
country  and  in  England  may  be  different,  the  spirit  is  the  same  ;  and 
when  again  the  white  cliffs  of  Albion,  as  they  rise  from  the  ocean's 
blue,  announce  that  "  merrie  England  "  is  near,  and  the  heart  of  our 
guest  beats  high  with  the  glad  greetings  of  his  own  people,  we  would 
wish  him  to  remember  that  there  are  those  among  them  who  are 
silent  because  God  hath  sealed  their  lips." 

Miss  Augusta  S.  Eastman's  slate  contained  the  following : — 

"  The  event  which  has  led  to  our  introduction  to  the  stage,  this 
auspicious  afternoon,  is  one  which  stands  rivaled  in  honor  and  glory 
by  none  in  the  annals  of  this  Institution,  viz.,  the  call  of  his  Royal 
Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales,  with  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
nobility  of  England.  We  had  for  quite  a  period  looked  forward 
anxiously  and  yet  hopefully  to  the  hour  in  which  we  should  behold 
the  son  of  the  universally  honored  Queen  of  one  of  the  greatest  of 
empires,  in  speaking  of  the  power  of  which,  it  has  as  justly  as  beauti- 
fully been  remarked,  "She  has  dotted  the  surface  of  the  whole  world 
with  her  possessions  and  military  posts,  whose  morning  drum-beat, 
following  the  sun  and  keeping  company  with  the  hours,  circles  the 
earth  daily  with  one  continuous  and  unbroken  strain  of  the  martial 
airs  of  England." 

The  greatest  satisfaction  was  expressed  with  these  compositions. 
Here  the  Prince  was  requested  to  indicate  "  a  few  subjects  for  the 
pupils  to  write  upon."  His  Royal  Highness  suggested  "  Music," 
"  The  Atlantic  Cable ;"  one  of  the  members  of  his  suite  mentioned  the 
"  Great  Eastern,"  and  somebody  added  "  The  Clouds."  Now,  music 
was  the  most  difficult  subject  that  could  be  suggested  for  deaf  mutes, 
who  never  heard  a  soul-inspiring  strain,  to  write  upon.  Here  is  what 
Miss  Montgomery  wrote  about  it : — 


14 


"  I  have  been  asked  to  express  my  idea  of  music,  that  all-powerful 
influence,  which  holds  the  hearts  of  men  in  such  a  mysterious  thrall, 
which  has  power  to  disarm  the  savage,  and  cause  the  wild  beast  to 
forget  its  fierceness,  creating,  while  it  lasts,  a  brief  but  ecstatic  millen- 
ium — that  incomprehensible  something  which  gushed  from  the  flow- 
ing heart  of  David,  heralded  the  birth  of  the  Savior,  and  now  floats 
around  the  throne  of  God.  What  it  may  be  in  its  bodily  shape,  if  I 
may  so  express  it,  I  know  not,  but  I  know  its  spirit  to  be  harmony  ; 
and  it  is  not  alone  through  the  medium  of  music  that  this  divine  spirit 
can  make  its  influence  felt,  for  we  can  see  it  in  the  ceaseless  beat  of  the 
ocean,  the  dark  flow  of  the  river,  and  even  in  the  waving  arms  and 
blended  colors  of  the  trees  that  crown  our  own  Palisades.  Nor  is 
music  alone  found  in  inanimate  nature,  in  things  perishable,  for  there 
are  those  whose  lives  are  but  one  grand  pean,  which  at  last  merges 
in  the  perfect  harmony  of  the  perfected  of  God." 

Mr.  Hubbard  wrote  about  the  Atlantic  cable  : — 

"  Since  Professor  Morse  applied  electricity  to  wires,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  conveying  messages  from  one  place  to  another  with  lightning 
rapidity,  it  has  been  the  object  of  many  scientific  gentlemen,  to  estab- 
lish a  cable  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  between  the  United  States  and 
Great  Britain.  A  trial  was  made,  and  messages  were  conveyed  across 
the  wide  Atlantic.  Holidays  were  given  in  honor  of  the  triumph, 
and  all  the  true  citizens  of  England  and  America  rejoiced  at  the  new 
tie  that  bound  us  to  our  mother  country.  But  all  these  were  destined 
to  be  disappointed,  for  after  working  a  few  weeks,  the  cable  refused  to 
carry  messages  across  the  ocean." 

Miss  Eastman  wrote  this  paragraph  upon  the  same  subject : — 

"  One  of  the  proudest  and  noblest  triumphs  of  American  genius 
we  esteem  that  of  the  Submarine  Telegraph,  which  forms  one  of  the 
mosl  important  links  in  the  great  chain  of  national  interests  which 
connect  this  with  the  mother  country  ;  and  though  it  prove  a  failure 
— which  it  is  universally  hoped  it  will  not — the  fame  of  its  inventor 
will  in  no  wise  be  diminished,  nor,  we  believe,  the  deep  and  mutual 
interests  which  unite  the  two  greatesl  nations  on  the  surface  of  the 
earth  one  atom  lessened." 


15 


Mr.  Tillinghast  thus  briefly  spoke  of  the  mammoth  vessel  : — 

"  The  Great  Eastern  is  a  grand  specimen  of  what  English  genius 
could  achieve.  This  achievement  in  mechanical  science  is  ranked 
among  the  proudest  triumphs  of  which  the  British  boast.  This  great 
ship  may  be  one  of  the  signs  that  '  the  sword  will  soon  be  turned  into 
the  ploughshare,  and  the  spear  into  the  pruning-hook.'" 

Miss  Eastman  said  only  this  about  the  clouds  : — 

"  I  have  been  requested  to  give  my  ideas  in  connection  with  clouds, 
the  exact  nature  of  which  I  do  not  profess  to  be  a  good  naturalist 
enough  to  explain,  yet  I  know  that  they  are  filled  with  that  indispens- 
able beverage  to  both  nwn  and  nature,  without  which  no  amount  of 
gold  and  jewels  could  purchase  life,  and  that  they  constitute  one  of 
the  chief  beauties  of  the  firmament." 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  pleasure 
which  the  Prince  and  party  felt  at  this  interesting  entertainment. 
After  those  compositions  had  been  read,  Mr.  Gamage  rendered  in 
pantomime  the  scene  of  Christ  stilling  the  tempest,  which  was  executed 
in  a  highly  artistic  manner.  The  Prince  of  Wales  and  his  suite  then 
ascended  the  platform,  when  the  Principal  introduced  them  to  the 
company.  A  shower  of  boquets  almost  deluged  his  Royal  High- 
ness, who  smiled  and  appeared  particularly  pleased.  He  gave  his 
autograph  to  Mrs.  Peet,  the  authoress  of  the  poem,  to  whom,  together 
with  Miss  Walter,  he  was  personally  presented.  It  was  expected 
that  the  visit  would  be  limited  to  fifteen  minutes,  but  when  that  time 
had  expired  the  Prince  expressed  his  desire  to  remain  longer,  and  accord- 
ingly the  exercises  were  protracted  for  nearly  an  hour.  He,  together 
with  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  and  other  members  of  the  party,  repeated 
that  they  had  been  gratified  far  beyond  their  expectations.  At  last  they 
proceeded  from  the  chapel,  and,  re-entering  their  carriages,  drove  off 
towards  High  Bridge.  The  visit  to  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum 
formed  an  interesting  passage  in  the  tour  of  the  Prince,  and  the  occa- 
sion will  be  a  memorable  one  in  the  annals  of  the  Institution. 


